Voting-machine.



L. R. WINSLOW.

VOTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.9, 1909.

Patented Aug. 12, 1913.

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VOTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 9, 1909.

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VOTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.9,1909.

COLUMBIA PLANOCR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LENNA IR. WIN SLOW, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO TRIUMPH VOTINCr MACHINE COMPANY, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

VOTING-MACHINE.

Original application filed January 2, 1909, Serial No. 470,411.

Specification of Letters Patent.

1909. Serial No. 511,877.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, LENNA R. VVINsLow, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Voting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention pertains particularly to mechanism adapting voting-machines to ready use in a reliable manner for primary election purposes, the present application constituting a division of my application No. 470,411, filed January 2, 1909.

The primary object of my present invention is to provide improved and simple means whereby a voting-machine may be readily employed for primary election purposes and each voter restricted to participation in the nomination of his own party candidates.

The invention is illustrated in the preferred embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a vertical sectional view of a voting-machine constructed and equipped in accordance with my invention, the section being taken as indicated at line 1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a vertical sectional view parallel with the rear of the casing of the machine, the section being taken as indicated at line 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a broken plan sectional view taken as indicated at line 3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 1, a broken front elevational view illustrating, in a diagrammatic manner, the front plate or keyboard of the machine.

It may be preliminarily stated that the accompanying drawings illustrate a votingmachine having voting-mechanism operated through the medium of vertically disposed shafts, said shafts being turned in one direction to unlock the voting-mechanism by an initial operation as the voter passes to the machine, and said shafts being turned in the opposite direction to complete the voting operation, as the voter passes from the machine, after having set the voting-keys in position to actuate the vote-registers, when said final operation occurs.

The machine illustrated is equipped at one end with a combination locking and actuatin device which may be released and initiaily operated to actuate said shafts and unlock the voting-mechanism; and said machine is equipped at the opposite end with a combination actuating and locking device which looks said shafts after their first actuation and which may be released and employed to actuate the shafts in the return movement as the voter passes from the machine, thereby to complete the voting 0peration, the voter having in the meantime set the voting-keys in position to actuate the vote-registers upon the final operation of the machine. The initial operating-handle is capable of being turned in either direction, according to the sex of the voter; and in any event, the shafts will be turned in the same direction. that is in a direction to unlock the voting mechanism and permit the voting-keys to be preliminarily set.

The details of the devices by means of which the general operation described is effected is of no importance in the present application. The voting-keys have connected therewith interlock-bars which are actuated when the voting-keys are preliminarily set; and means are combined therewith whereby the machine may be employed for primary election purposes and each voter restricted to participation in the nomination of his own party candidate.

The machine as illustrated comprises a casing A having a front keyboard A and a removable rear side A registering-mechanisms B mounted in the machine adjacent to the keyboard A votingkeys C connected with slides C co-acting with said registering-mechanisms; interlock mechanism D connected with the slides C vertically-disposed shafts E carrying crankarms upon which are mounted horizontally-movable bars E which normally lock the slides C against being moved forward through the operation of the votingkeys; a combination actuating and locking device E which may be released and will then serve to actuate the shafts E and move the bars E to the forward position, thus permitting the votingkeys to be operated to preliminarily set the register-actuating slides; a combination actuating and locking device G which serves to lock the shafts E after they are preliminarily moved to unlock the voting-keys and which may be released and serve to actuate the shafts E to complete the voting opera tion as the voter passes from the machine after having preliminarily set the votingkeys; restrictive mechanism H co-acting with the interlock-bars of the interlockmechanism D and serving in one position to permit restrictive voting by women and in another position to permit unrestrictive voting by men, said mechanism H being preparatorily moved when the shafts E are actuated through the medium of the initial actuating device F a locking and resetting device I co-acting with the interlock-bars of the interlock mechanism D; and primaryvote controlling mechanism J co-acting with the interlock-bars of the interlock mechanism D and adapted to restrict voters at primary elections to participation in the nomination of candidates belonging to their respective parties.

The casing A may be of any approved construction, as also may be the vote-reg istering, or tallying, mechanism B. The voting-keys C project through the keyboard A and are adapted to actuate or move forwardly horizontally-disposed slides 1 which are equipped with spring-pawls 2 adapted to engage the ratchet-wheels of the registering mechanisms, whereby, when the slides are moved backwardly, in the final operation of the machine, the registering mechanisms will be actuated. Links 3 are connected with said slides and with bellcrank levers 4 connected with vertically-disposed interlock-bars 5 of the interlock mechanism D. The lower ends of the interlockbars 5 extend through a guide 6 and are equipped with wedge members 7 scribed in my pending application Serial No. 426,080, filed April 9, 1908. Interlock-bars 5 are provided with a series of offsets, or shoulders, 8, 9 and 10, as will be best understood from Fig. 1.

The keyboard A of the machine is provided, in accordance with the usual construction, with perforations through which the voting-keys C extend. For primary election purposes, it is convenient to divide the machine into three or more sections, so far as grouping the voting-keys, registeringmechanisms and interlock-bars is concerned, each section corresponding with a given party, so that the appropriate section may be released for use by the primary voter, according to his party afiiliation. Thus, in Fig. 4, I have shown the keyboard arranged in three sections corresponding with Republican, Democratic and Prohibition candidates for nomination. Each slide 1 is equipped with a link 11 having a lug 12, the link 11 being adapted to be depressed when the slide is moved forwardly through the medium of the key C, thereby to bring the lug 12 into the path of the corresponding bar E forming a part of the slide-restricting mechanism which serves in the final operation of the voting operation. As has been indicated, the interlock-bars 50f the as deinterlock mechanism D are adapted to be elevated when the voting-keys are drawn forwardly and the slides 1 thereby moved forward.

In the illustration given there are three vertical shafts E employed, one being located near each end of the casing and one near the center of the casing and in the same plane as the other two. The bars E are carried by arms, or cranks, 13 mounted on the shafts E. The shafts are thus tied together, so that when one shaft is turned all will be turned simultaneously.

The combination locking and actuating device F is described in detail in my application No. 470,411, of which the present application is a division, and a general description thereof will sufiice for the purpose of the present application. This device comprises a horizontally-disposed shaft 14 equipped with a handle 15, said shaft 14 extending through one end of the casing near the bottom thereof; a gear-segment 16 connected with the inner end of said shaft; beveled gears 17 and 18 located, respectively, above and below said gear-segment and fixed on the corresponding shaft E and co-acting with said gear-segment, whereby the shaft E may be turned in a given direction, regardless of the direction of the movement of the handle 15; and a locking-device 19 applied to the casing of the machine and co-acting wit-h the horizontal shaft 14, said lockingdevice 19 having a handle 20 which serves to determine the direction of motion which maybe imparted to the shaft 14, according to the sex of the voter. It is suflicient to add here that when a male voter desires to vote, the device 19 is preparatorily set to permit rotation of the shaft 14 in such a direction as to avoid setting the device H in position to restrict the voting; and when a female voter desires to vote, the device 19 may be preparatorily set to permit the shaft 14 to be turned in the opposite direction, in which case the device H will be preparatorily set to restrict the voting.

The combination locking and actuating device G is described in detail in my application No. 470,411, of which the present application is a division, and it is sufficient to state here that the device serves as a means whereby the voter, after having preparatorily set the votingkeys, operates the shafts E to effect the registering operation as the voter leaves the machine.

The mechanism H, which, when the handle 15 is turned in one direct-ion by or for a female voter, locks certain of the interlockbars 5, and when the handle 15 is turned in the opposite direction by or for a male voter, is disengage-d from the interlock-bars 5, is described in detail in said application No. 470,411. It comprises a bar 21 extending from one end of the machine to the other and equipped with adjustable stop-plates 22 adapted to engage the stops, or shoulders, 9 of the interlock-bars 5; forwardly-projecting arms 23 connected with the ends of the bar 21, and connected, by pivots 24, with the ends of the casing of the machine, one of the arms 23 having a forward extension 25 equipped with a camstud 26; a verticallymovable cam-slide 27 having a. screw and slot connection 28 with the inner surface of one end of the casing of the machine, said slide 27 having a vertical cam-surface 29 at one edge and an inclined cam-slot 30 extending forwardly and downwardly from the lower end of the vertical surface 29; and a beam, or arm, 31 secured on the horizontal shaft 14 and having one end connected, by a link 32, with the vertically movable slide 27. Thus, it will be understood that when the shaft 14 is turned in one direction the slide 27 is lowered, thereby elevating the bar 21 and disengaging the stops 22 from the co-acting stops 9 of the interlock-bars 5; and when the shaft 14 is turned in the opposite direction, the slide 27 is elevated, causing the cam-stud 26 to enter the slot 30, and the bar 21 is thereby lowered, bringing such of the stops 22 as are adjusted to the forward position into engagement with the coacting stops 9 of the interlock-bars 5. The illustration given in Fig. 1 shows the shaft- 14 rotated to unlock the machine for a male voter, so that all of the interlock-bars are free from engagement with the mechanism H. I have shown counter-actuating bars 33 and 34 connected with the beam 31 and with counters 35, 36 and 37 adapted to register male and female votes and also the total vote.

The locking and re-setting mechanism I is described in said application No. 470,411 and is of no importance in connection with the present application. It is suthcient to state that said mechanism I is released or freed from the interlock-bars during the voting operation.

The mechanism J adapting the machine to restrict primary voters to voting for the respective nominees of their respective parties will now be described. It preferably comprises a series of stops, or locking-bars, 38, 39 and 40, which, in the illustration given, correspond, respectively, with the divisions of the voting-machine allotted to the Republican party, the Democratic party and the Prohibition party, and each coacting with the stops, or shoulders, 8 of the corresponding interlock-bars 5; arms 41 projecting rearwardly from and rigidly connected with said bars or stops, having their rear ends connected, by pivots 42, with the rear wall of the casing of the machine, and rock-shafts 43 extending forwardly from the rear wall of the casing and projecting across the bars 38, 39 and 40, said rock-shafts being equipped with arms 44 adapted to lock the bars 38, 39 and 40 in engagement with the stops 8 of the interlock-bars 5; actuating-rods 45, 46 and 47 projecting through one end of the casing of the'machine and connected at their inner ends, by arms, or cranks, 48 with the rockshafts 43, said rods being equipped with interlock-bars 49 of well known construction, whereby, when one rod has been actuated, the other two are locked against actuation; and locking means 50 whereby the rods 45, 46 and 47 are normally locked against actuation, said locking-device 50 being actuated to release said rods when the handle 15 of the machine is operated to unlock the machine preparatory to the voting operation. The means 50 for locking the rods 45, 46 and 47 comprises a rock-shaft 51 extending parallel with the ends of the easing and equipped with arms 52; studs 53 on the rods 45, 46 and 47 which are engaged by the arms 52 when the machine is in the locked condition; and an arm 54 carried by the adjacent vertical shaft E and connected by a link with an arm 56 carried by the rock-shaft 51, whereby, when the shaft E is turned, through the operation of the handle 15, the rock-shaft 51 may be turned to unlock the rods 45, 46 and 47. Fig. 3 illustrates the condition after said rods have been released and the rod, or key, 46 has been shoved in to elevate the arm 44 which unlocks the Democratic section of the machine.

I have shown the rock-shafts 43 equipped with arms 57, which serve to actuate vertically-movable emblems, or party-designating devices 58, which serve to register the number of voters of each party participating in the primary election.

The operation of the machine, when used for primary-voting purposes, is as follows: Assuming the machine to have been properly divided into sections corresponding with the several parties having candidates for nomination, the device 19 is actuated to permit rotation of the shaft 14 in one direction or the other, according to the sex of the voter. The shaft 14 is then operated through the medium of the handle 15, thereby unlocking the voting mechanism. In this operation, the rock-shaft 51 is actuated to release the party-keys 45, 46 and 47. One of said party-keys is then shoved inwardly, according to the party atliliation of the voter, thereby unlocking the inter lock-bars of the section of the machine to be devoted to such party. Thereupon, the voter is free to set the regular voting-keys, as in the case of a regular election, and, upon passing from the machine, actuates the mechanism through the medium of the device G, thereby completing the voting operation. When one of the party-keys is shoved inwardly, it thereby locks the remaining party-keys against actuation, and the interlock-bars of the sections of the machine devoted to other parties remain locked. hen a party-key is shoved in wardly, it actuates the corresponding rockshaft 4-3, thereby elevating the arm 44 thereof and unlocking the corresponding one of the stop-bars 38, 89 and 40. When a party-key is shoved inwardly, the corresponding party-emblem is elevated, thereby showing the party afliliation of the voter.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only. Hence, no undue limitation should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible in view of the prior art.

What I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a voting-machine, the combination with voting-mechanism, including horizontally-movable voting-keys and verticallymovable interlock-bars connected therewith, said interlock-bars equipped with stops, of party-stops co-acting with the stops of said interlock-bars, locking devices therefor, and party-keys connected with said locking devices and equipped with interlock means, whereby one only of said party-keys may be actuated, thus releasing the interlock-bars of the section of the machine apportioned to the party with which the voter is identified.

2. In a voting-machine, the combination with voting mechanism, including horizontally-movable voting-keys, vertically-mow able interlock-bars connected therewith and equipped with stops, vertically-movable party-stops coacting with said. first-named stops, horizontally-disposed rock-shafts equipped with arms engaging said partystops, and voting keys connected with said rock-shafts and equipped with interlockmeans, whereby one only of said last-named keys may be actuated by the primary voter, thereby to release the interlock-bars of the section of the machine apportioned to the party with which the voter is identified.

In a voting-machine, the combination with voting-mechanism, including votingkeys and interlock-bars connected therewith and including means normally locking the voting-keys against actuation, of means for releasing the voting-keys, party-stops coacting with the interlock-bars, partykeys through the medium of which said party-stops may be released, an interlockdevice whereby one only of said party-keys may be actuated, an interlock-mechanism controlling said partykeys and actuated to release said party-keys in the operation of releasing said voting-keys.

4. In a voting-machine, the combination with voting mechanism, including votingkeys and interlock-bars connected therewith and including a pair of shafts connected for simultaneous actuation and equipped with means normally locking the voting-keys against actuation, means for actuating said shafts to release the voting-keys, partystops co-acting with said interlock-bars, party releasing-keys controlling said partystops, and an interlocking-device controlling said party releasing-keys, comprising a rockshaft equipped with means normally restraining said keys from movement, and means connecting said rock-shaft with one of said first-named shafts, whereby said party-keys will be released in the action of releasing said voting-keys.

5. In a voting-machine, the combination with voting-mechanism, including votingkeys and interlock-bars connected therewith and including means normally locking the voting-keys against actuation, of means for releasing the voting-keys, party stops coacting with the interlock-bars, party-keys through the medium of which said partystops maybe released, an interlock device whereby one only of said party-keys may be actuated, and interlock mechanism controlling said party-keys and actuated to release said partykeys in the operation of releasing said voting-keys.

6. In a voting-machine, the combination with voting-mechanism, including votingkeys and interlock-bars connected therewith and including a pair of shafts connected for simultaneous actuation and equipped with vmeans normally locking the voting-keys against actuation, means for actuating said shafts to release the voting-keys, party-stops co -acting with said interlock-bars, party re leasin gkeys controlling said party-stops, and an interlocking-device controlling said party releasing-keys, comprising a rock-shaft equipped with means normally restraining said keys from movement, and means connecting said rock-shaft with one ofsaid first-named shafts, whereby said party-keys will be released in the action of releasing said voting-keys,

7. In a voting machine, the combination with voting-mechanism, including votingkeys and interlock-bars connected therewith, said voting-keys being arranged in groups corresponding to the various parties, releasable means for preventing the movement of the interlocking-means cooperating with the several groups of voting-keys including movable party-keys, and emblems opera tively connected with said party-keys and movable into position to be viewed upon the actuation of the respective party-keys.

8. In a voting machine, the combination with voting-mechanism, including votingkeys and interlock-bars connected therewith, said interlock-bars being equipped with stops, of party-stops co -acting with the stops of said interlock-bars, party-keys controlling the movement of said party-stops and spectively, with said party-keys and proequipped with interlocking-means whereby jectable into position to be viewed upon one only of said party-keys may be actuactuating the respective party-keys.

ated, thus releasing the interlock-bars of the LENNA R. WINSLOW. 5 section of the machine apportioned to the In presence ofparty with which the voter is identified, and D. A. YoDnR,

party emblems operatively connected re- EMILIE l/VINsLoW.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

